Farhan leads Pakistan into T20 World Cup Super Eights as Namibia crumble

Pakistan beat Namibia by 102 runs in Colombo as Sahibzada Farhan hits his first T20 international century.

Pakistan have stormed into the Super Eights with their best performance yet at the 2026 T20 World Cup, beating a below par Namibia by 102 runs.

Electing to bat first at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Wednesday, Pakistan hit 199-3 with Sahibzada Farhan hitting his first T20 international century.

The 29-year-old was unbeaten on exactly 100 after facing 58 balls, hitting 11 fours and four sixes, while Usman Tariq registered his career-best bowling figures with 4-16.

The victory confirmed Pakistan’s place in the Super Eights stage of the tournament, which is being held in India and Sri Lanka, and it condemned their African opponents to their third defeat in their three group stage matches.

Farhan has now scored five T20 centuries in domestic and international cricket since the start of 2025.

“I have been playing domestic cricket for five years on a regular basis, and I don’t miss a match,” the right-hander said.

“The hard work in domestic cricket back home in Pakistan has paid off.

“Early on, the wicket wasn’t easy. I told the captain and agreed to play normal cricket until the sixth over, then play my natural game from there.

“We lost a couple of wickets in succession, so the idea was to build the partnership and then take charge.”

After losing to India on Sunday, a second defeat would have eliminated Pakistan and seen the United States or the Netherlands progressing from Group A.

Farhan, however, had other ideas and blasted a six and a four off pace bowler Jack Brassell to enter the 90s before taking a single off Gerhard Erasmus to complete his hundred in the final over.

Farhan was ably supported by his captain, Salman Agha, who hit 38 off 23 balls in a partnership with the former worth 67 for the second wicket.

Shadab Khan, who was promoted to number five with Babar Azam left out, was equally as destructive as his captain with an unbeaten 36 off 22. His unbeaten stand with Farhan was worth 81 in 6.4 brutal overs with the former hitting three sixes.

Namibia’s chase never gained momentum despite a promising start from opener Louren Steenkamp, who ⁠raced to 23 before the African ⁠side began losing wickets at regular intervals.

Pakistan also left out pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi after a poor showing in the first three matches, including conceding 31 runs in two overs in the defeat against India on Sunday.

Spinner Shadab (3-19), however, proved instrumental with the ball as well, dismissing skipper Erasmus before having Alexander Busing-Volschenk ⁠stumped for 20 when the middle-order batter charged down the pitch as the ⁠required run rate mounted.

Spinner Tariq cleaned up the tail as Namibia were dismissed for 97, leaving them mired at the bottom of the group.

Pakistan, the last side to confirm their Super Eights qualification, will now face New Zealand on Sunday in Colombo.

Farhan’s ton means this is the first T20 World Cup in which three centuries have been scored.

He followed Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who scored a hundred against Australia on Monday, and Canada’s Yuvraj Sama, who reached three figures against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Farhan’s achievement also makes him only the second Pakistani to score a T20 World Cup century after Ahmed Shehzad in 2014 against Bangladesh.